“Thanks.” Gideon raked his hands through his hair.
“I’m assuming that phone deal wasn’t awesome?”
“Not really.”
Since he didn’t elaborate, I sure as hell wasn’t going to beg for information. “Right.” I stalked to the back door of Brewed Awakening.
Gideon caught my arm. “Macy, wait.”
“It’s not my business.”
“Of course it is.”
“No, it really isn’t. Just because we got naked doesn’t mean I’m privy to all the details of your life.”
“What if I want to tell you?”
“Then tell me.” I put my hands on my hips.
“Jessica is coming back to town.”
“When?”
“I don’t know, she left a vague message and won’t reply to my texts. Typical shit she always pulls when I don’t jump and do whatever she wants when she wants me to.”
I fisted my hands in my jeans pockets. “She must have been a spectacular bang for you to put up with that.”
His eyes narrowed. “I’m definitely not wading into those crocodile-infested waters.”
“Look, it’s fine. We’re fine. We got that itch scratched.”
He took two long strides and caught me before I could back up again. He curled his arm through my stiffened arms to drag me into him. “That itch isn’t going to be scratched from one fuck. I didn’t get to take my time with you.”
I flattened my hands against his broad chest. My heart slammed against my ribs and I had the strongest urge to run and to drag him up to my apartment at the same time.
He lowered his mouth to mine. The kiss was scorching and thorough. By the time he was done with me, he was lightly tugging on my lower lip with his teeth. Kind of the same way I’d done to start the night.
“Just because I have a crappy ex to deal with doesn’t mean I want what’s happening between us to stop.” He rested his forehead against mine. “I don’t want to lose this.”
I slid my hand up to tease the long ends of his hair he tried to tame. “Someone to scratch an itch with?”
“You know it’s more than a fucking itch. And can we stop saying itch? I want to touch you because I like it. If I just wanted to get my wick wet, I could do that easy enough.”
I stiffened. “Asshole.”
He lowered his hand to cup my ass, dragging me against him to show me just how hard he was. “I’m not that guy. No matter how much you want to slot me in there as a quick fuck and chuck, it isn’t going to happen.”
I rose onto my toes. My brain kept telling me to back it up, but my body leaned in. My instincts really wanted to embrace everything he was saying. “We aren’t supposed to get complicated.”
“Too late, Mace.” He kissed me again, then turned me toward the back door. “Now let’s get this place cleaned up.”
By the time we got the café back to rights, I was so exhausted I didn’t have to fight insomnia for once in my damn life.
Wasn’t that a bitch?
Thirteen
It had been a week since Ivy gave birth. I’d managed to get some time in with Macy once, but that had been more of a chilly makeout session. Literally chilly—in her freezer when I’d gone on the hunt for coffee.